Introduction As Ireland's population increases and chronic disease becomes more prevalent, demand on limited general practice services will increase. Nursing roles within general practice are now considered to be standard, yet alternative allied health professional roles are under explored within an Irish context. Allied health personnel such as Advanced Paramedics (APs) may have the capability to provide support to general practice. Aim To explore General Practitioners’ (GPs) attitudes and opinions of integrating Advanced Paramedics (APs) into rural general practice in Ireland. Methods A sequential explanatory mixed methodology was adopted. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to a purposeful sample of GPs attending a rural conference followed by semi-structured interviews. Data was recorded and transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Results In total n = 27 GPs responded to the survey and n = 13 GPs were interviewed. The majority of GPs were familiar with APs and were receptive to the concept of closely collaborating with APs within a variety of settings including out-of-hours services, home visits, nursing homes and even roles within the general practice surgery. Conclusion General Practitioner and Advanced Paramedic clinical practice dovetail within many facets of primary care and emergency care. GPs recognise that current rural models are unsustainable and realise the potential of integrating APs into the general practice team to help support and sustain the future of rural general practice services in Ireland. These interviews provided an exclusive, detailed insight into the world of general practice in Ireland that has not been previously documented in this way.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.